MAPPING OF DIVERSE PRODUCTION SYSTEM OFFINGER MILLET (ELEUSINECORACANA L.) IN TAMIL NADU

Abstract

Finger millet (Ragi) is an important staple crop in India. Karnataka Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand were lead states cultivating finger millets. Despite its superior nutritional qualities and adaptability to rainfed conditions, finger millets have recorded steep decline in terms of area and production over years which calls for urgent interventions to maintain nutritional status and income stability among resource poor dryland farmers. This study was undertaken to analyse the trends and instability in ragi cultivation in India and to map various technological practices adopted by finger millet growers in Tamil Nadu. A multistage random sampling procedure was adopted and 200 farmers were selected for the study. The results revealed that there is a steady and rapid decline in area and production of finger millets in all major ragi producing states. The socio-economic and demographic profile of sample farmers revealed that a majority of the farmers have long experience in ragi cultivation, were possessing rainfed farmlands, having livestock and belong to middle age of 35 to 50 years. The technological practices followed in ragi cultivation was documented. It revealed that farmers in Tamil Nadu were adopting unique production techniques as compared to other states like direct sowing, full mechanization for various operations like ploughing and threshing, thinning and cutting top leaves to feed animals, etc. However, the cost analysis showed that ragi cultivation is unsustainable in the long run with negative net returns over Cost B and Cost C. In spite of this negative returns, this crop was still being cultivated owing to positive net returns over Cost A (payout costs) and to supply for own family consumption. Labour cost was found to be the major component in cost of cultivation. Inadequate rainfall or irrigation, labour availability, adequate credit availability and non-availability of formal market structures were opined by cultivators as major problems in the cultivation of finger.